Vityaz – SKA

Vityaz – SKA – 0:4

10 January 2024

SKA coasted to a routine triumph over Vityaz in the 2023/2024 KHL regular season, emerging victorious by a confident score of 4:0 away in Balashikha.

In truth, barely anything of note occurred during a sleepy first period.

The only major scoring opportunity was wasted by the clean-through Brendan Leipsic, who whipped wide of the right post.

Predictably, Vityaz were focused on defending solidly and hitting SKA on the counter. Nikita Serebryakov didn’t have to make any challenging saves in the opening stanza, but he did stand his ground well to cover one weak effort from Derek Barach in a dangerous position.

Vityaz gifted SKA a big chance to open the scoring with two tripping fouls during one play at the end of the frame.

Our players promptly took full advantage of that chance in the first minute of the second stanza, with Sergei Tolchinsky completing a flowing passing play.

That goal provided SKA with the initiative.

In stark comparison to the first period, our team bossed proceedings with slick, intense play, pulling the Vityaz defence apart at will.

SKA practically put the game to bed with two further powerplay goals in the frame.

At point-blank range, the in-form Vasily Glotov bundled the bouncing puck over the line, before Arseniy Gritsyuk gave a flowing passing move the perfect finish with a rasping one-timer from his favourite position on the right circle.

With their backs pinned firmly up against the wall, Vityaz did subsequently add urgency to their approach in the third period.

However, for all of their effort and desire, very few realistic opportunities were created by the toothless Balashikha-based outfit. SKA weren’t particularly lively on the counter-attack either, but Glotov did come agonisingly close to his second on one occasion, smacking the base of the right post.

We rounded the match off with a sublime fourth marker with a mere 24 seconds remaining on the clock.

Gritsyuk registered his second of the match, brilliantly redirecting Maxim Fedotov’s intelligent pass high into the left corner over the despairing blocker of home goaltender Dmitry Shikin. That was indeed our only goal while playing 5-on-5 in the match.

SKA will now prepare to face Spartak in Moscow on Friday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

Vityaz – SKA – 0:4 (0:0, 0:3, 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Tolchinsky (Nikishin, Rendulic), 20.59 PPG

0:2 Glotov (Zykov, M. Fedotov), 30.10 PPG

0:3 Gritsyuk (Galchenyuk, M. Fedotov), 35.02 PPG

0:4 Gritsyuk (M. Fedotov, Galchenyuk), 59.36

Goalkeepers: Shikin – Serebryakov

Shots: 49 - 83

Shots on target: 22 – 49

Faceoffs: 36 – 36